Legacy: Remembering the Skymasters Paradox Jazz Orchestra & Jasper Staps

• 1Nobody Else But Me05:32
• 2Baubles, Bangles and Beads03:18
• 3Spring Is Here05:41
• 4Absolutely Knot03:09
• 5Because I Love You04:48
• 6The Birth Of The Blues02:50
• 7Blue Lew08:03
• 8And That's What I Said To My Lass04:48
• 9Some Folks Say06:51
• 10Tangerine04:55
• 11Bonner Presse Blues07:04
• 12Voce Abusou02:15
• Total Runtime59:14

Info for Legacy: Remembering the Skymasters

Young big band pays tribute to the legendary Skymasters: The Dutch big band tradition holds a special place in the history of jazz. The Skymasters, founded in 1945, captivated audiences with their swinging big band music and Dutch vocal repertoire through their popular radio broadcasts. Now, the Paradox Jazz Orchestra (PJO), a newly formed ensemble, pays homage to this illustrious era with their new album, “Remembering the Skymasters – Legacy.” Led by saxophonist and arranger Jasper Staps and trumpeter Teus Nobel, the PJO aims to revive and reintroduce the rich Dutch and international big band heritage to both existing and new generations of music lovers. In this blog post, we delve into the origins of the PJO, its unique concept, and its mission to keep big band music alive.

The Birth of the Paradox Jazz Orchestra: Inspired by their passion for big band music, Jasper Staps and Teus Nobel founded the Paradox Jazz Orchestra in 2019. With the support of the Tilburg jazz club Paradox, the PJO had the opportunity to test their concept through live performances. These try-out concerts were met with great success, garnering praise from both the press and the public.

Honoring the Skymasters’ Legacy: One of the significant themes explored by the PJO is a tribute to the Skymasters, a legendary Dutch big band that achieved global fame in the 1980s and 1990s. By dedicating their new album to the Skymasters during their peak, the PJO aims to keep the legacy of this influential ensemble alive.

Jasper Staps, band leader
Daniel Daemen, saxophone
Donald Simoen, saxophone
Guido Nijs, saxophone
Jesse Schilderink, saxophone
Jan Menu, saxophone
Martijn de Laat, trumpet
Robin Rombouts, trumpet
Koen Smits, trumpet
Teus Nobel, trumpet
Rik Mol, trumpet
Martijn Sohier, trombone
Alex van Abeelen, trombone
Ron Oligschläger, trombone
Martin van den Berg, trombone
Rembrandt Frerichs, piano
Tim Langedijk, guitar
Jos Machtel, bass
Niek de Bruijn, drums

Paradox Jazz Orchestra
Renowned saxophonist/arranger JASPER STAPS and trumpeter TEUS NOBEL founded a new jazz orchestra in 2019. In early 2020, the Tilburg jazz club Paradox gave them all the freedom they needed to try out their concept live. This led to several successful try-out concerts. This new big band therefore owes its name to its creative home base. The Paradox Jazz Orchestra (PJO) was born.

Press and audiences alike wax lyrical about Paradox Jazz Orchestra's unique concept. Audiences witness the process live, feel the tension of the short preparation time and its release during the concerts. The basis of the orchestra is the session nights at Tilburg's jazz club Paradox. The creative home base, where the orchestra experiments and tries things out. During these evenings, the audience is welcome early on: from rehearsal to concert.

Each session night has its own theme. Such as the repertoire of a well-known big band or of a particular composer or arranger. For example, Buddy Rich, Duke Ellington (with his "Far East Suite"), Jerry van Rooyen and Stan Kenton. An important theme is the tribute to THE SKYMASTERS, the illustrious homegrown big band that gained world fame in the 80s and 90s.

Jasper Staps: 'On the one hand, we see many talented and well-trained musicians who are technically and artistically hardly challenged in their bands and orchestras. On the other hand, we see amateur big bands playing repertoire that is a little too far above their level. We find that an unsatisfactory result. With the Paradox Jazz Orchestra, we are trying to break that." Teus Nobel: "Together with Staps, I approached young talents like Koen Smits, Niek de Bruin and Jesse Schilderink. We put these alongside more established names like Rembrandt Frerichs, Jan Menu and Jos Machtel. When the other musicians on our wish list all enthusiastically said 'yes', the orchestra was complete. The musicians come from all parts of the Netherlands and Flanders."

This album contains no booklet.